John, I'm the woman I am today because of my mother. 

My mother, Mildred Parish Massey, was the fiercest champion for justice and equality that I've ever met. Born in 1924 in El Paso, she grew up right in the thick of the Jim Crow days in the South. And lord did my mother face more than her fair share of racism and hardships – but through it all, she never lost faith in our nation.

She believed that America was somewhere that she could give my sisters and me a better life – and through her own hard work and steely resolve, my mother made that happen.

She taught me that when there isn't a place for you at the table, you bring a folding chair and you make sure that it’s there to stay. That vital lesson inspires me every day and allowed my mother — who was banned from restaurants as a child because of the color of her skin — to ultimately witness her Black daughter get sworn-in as a member of Congress.

John, in a lot of ways, this campaign is about making my mother proud. She smashed countless glass ceilings throughout her life, and now it's up to me to smash this last one and become just the third Black woman ever to serve in the U.S. Senate. 

All of this is to say that today and every day, I'm honoring my mother and all that she's done to get me here – and I thank you for taking a moment to honor her too. I sincerely hope that today and every day you too feel loved and recognized for the hard work you do.

Thank you for letting me share this special day with you,

Barbara Lee

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